Indebted...

Part-16

Jungkook's pov

Setting my empty coffee cup on the drainer the next morning, I heard footsteps approaching. Determined not to exhibit any awkwardness, I pasted my default smile on my face and turned. Damn. Suited-up and oozing authority, Taehyung looked impossibly gorgeous and totally in charge.

As casual and aloof as always, he arched a brow. "Ready to go?"

Apparently, he was on-board with the "pretending last night never happened" plan. Good. That made things easier. I nodded and gathered my things. "Ready."

In the car, I turned my gaze to the window and watched his lush landscaping go by as we descended the long driveway. The estate really was beautiful. A lonely place to be at times, but still beautiful.

"It can't happen again, Jungkook."

I forced myself not to tense. Without looking away from the window, I said, "I know." Because I'd never mastered the art of separating emotion from sex. Thanks to the developing crush, I was already close to crossing the emotional line with Taehyung. He just didn't know it.

At least he hadn't branded last night a mistake. He wouldn't have been wrong, but it still would have stung to hear him say it. Eager to change the subject, I looked at him and said, "Hana and Daehyun came to see me yesterday while you were talking with the teams."

His dark eyes narrowed slightly. "And you're only telling me this now?"

"You were in a shitty mood yesterday. I figured it could wait."

He raised the privacy screen and asked, "What did they say?"

"They told me about the trust fund-allegedly, Jung-ho agreed with them that I should know. Hana and Daehyun tried convincing me that you only married me to gain access to it; they think I should leave you now so that you can't use me any more than you already have."

Taehyung's jaw hardened. "You should have told me immediately."

"Like I said, you were in a foul mood. I planned to tell you when we got back to your house, but I didn't have much success at calming you, and then ..." Then you fucked me in your kitchen.

"Hana should have known better. I warned Daehyung to leave you alone. Clearly being barred from his favorite casino hasn't inspired him to change his ways."

I frowned. "You had him barred from a casino?"

"After he fed you the last 'Taehyung is evil' speech, yes. He was trying to cause trouble between us; trying to make my life difficult-I was just demonstrating that I can return the favor. Daehyun used to play a weekly card game at the casino with a bunch of wealthy assholes who'll gamble everything from money to animals. Now he can't anymore, and he hates
that. But he hasn't yet backed down."

"He can no doubt feel his share of your trust fund slipping away from him-he was never going to take that lying down.They were probably lying that Jung-ho banded with them over this."

"He thinks the same as they do when it comes to you and me, so there's every chance he was involved."

"At least Kwan had nothing to do with it."

We arrived at Kim-Verse a short while later. Inside the building, I'd no sooner fired up my computer than Jimin appeared at my desk. I smiled and pulled a card out of my purse. "Happy birthday. Your usual gift card is inside."

He took it with a huge grin. "Thank you. Like my badge?"

I eyed the round, "It's my birthday and I'll curse if I want to" badge he'd pinned to his shirt. "It screams 'class.'"